P2C2: Northern Annular Mode (NAM) Variability during the Little Ice Age and Medieval Warm Period in a Cave Ice Core Record from Northwestern Romania

为研究两种假设提供了资金，即在过去两千年中，十年至百年尺度的气候变率是东欧的一个持续特征，而小冰期和中世纪暖期是这种十年至百年变化模式的一部分。具体来说，研究人员试图从罗马尼亚西北部洞穴的分层冰和洞穴中获得每年到十年的气候解决记录。研究人员的目标是解决一些重要的科学问题，包括：1)在过去的2000年里，欧洲东南部的温度和水文循环对北环模（NAM）变化的反应是什么？2)小冰期（LIA）和中世纪暖期（MWP）极端气候事件的氧同位素特征是什么？与北大西洋其他地区（如格陵兰岛）相比如何？3)气候响应的空间特征以及与LIA和MWP相关的植被异常是否与NAM的变化一致？4)辐射强迫变化和持续的不结盟运动模式对区域尺度气候的综合影响是什么？更广泛的影响包括可能建立一个新的古气候信息档案；研究生和博士后的支持；促进美国和罗马尼亚科学家之间强有力的国际合作；以及为罗马尼亚阿普塞尼国家公园的游客提供关于洞穴环境及其在气候研究中的作用的教育展览。

Funding is provided to investigate the twin hypotheses that decade-to-century-scale climate variability was a persistent feature over the past two millennia in Eastern Europe and that the Little Ice Age and Medieval Warm Period were part of this pattern of decadal-to-centennial variability. Specifically, the researchers seek to obtain an annual to decadal resolved record of climate from layered ice and speleothems from caves in Northwestern Romania The researchers aim to address a number of important science questions that include: 1) What was the response of temperature and the hydrologic cycle to Northern Annular Mode (NAM) variability over the last 2,000 years in southeastern Europe? 2) What was the oxygen isotopic signature of extreme climate events during the Little Ice Age (LIA) and Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and how does this compare to other parts of the North Atlantic such as Greenland? 3) Is the spatial signature of the climate response, and published vegetation anomalies associated with the LIA and MWP, consistent with changes of the NAM? and 4) What are the combined effects of changes in radiative forcing and persistent NAM patterns on regional-scale climate?The broader impacts involve the possible development of a new archive for paleoclimate information; support of graduate student and postdoctoral scholars; the fostering of strong international cooperation between U.S. and Romanian scientists; and the development of educational displays for visitors to Apuseni National Park in Romania about cave environments and their role in climate studies.